Roll Over or Get Tough? My choice is for Time Warner Cable is to Get Tough on Itself!

Time Warner Cable, my local (and only cable) provider is in contract negotiations with several TV networks for programming.  Time Warner (TWC) states on their "Roll Over or Get Tough" website, that some of these networks are demanding increases of up to 300%.   They are asking customers to tell them if they should "Roll Over" and accept the increases or "Get Tough".  Not surprising, rolling over means price increases to the customer and the potential of losing favorite shows (although if TWC 'rolls over', why would the shows go away?).  Equally not surprising, the website encourages the "Get Tough" option, even when you choose "Roll Over".

Without knowing what channels are involved or what a 300% increase really means, I can't voice an opinion on whether TWC should get tough, roll over or even sit and stay.  Perhaps the 300% increase brings those particular networks into alignment with what other networks are already charging.  Maybe the current contracts with these networks unfairly favor TWC.  Maybe these networks have really improved their programming and the shows are more costly to produce.  TWC doesn't tell us any rationale for the increases (other than price-gouging) nor do they indicate what shows may be involved.

As a customer, I don't really care what TWC has to pay to its program providers. TWC's sole purpose is negotiate with said providers and deliver a programming package that is attractive to the consumer.    I don't like that TWC is dragging its customers into this by threatening them with price increases or loss of favorite shows.  On the "Roll Over or Get Tough" website, TWC declares that these TV networks are being unfair, especially in today's economy, and will hold our TVs hostage.   Actually, TWC is the one holding us hostage.  Why should TWC automatically pass the increases on to us?   If they feel that, in this economy, customers can't or won't pay more, then TWC needs to look at ways to become more efficient and to reduce their own overhead.  One way would be to stop producing and mailing the monthly channel guide. It serves no purpose when a searchable program guide is located right on the television! And the same information can be found for free in the local newspaper or on the internet. TWC could stop being redundant and at the same time,  use that reduction to offset increased programming costs.

Another way to reduce overhead would be to cut back on TWC's media budget.  It seems that TWC often runs public (and expensive) campaigns against the TV networks whenever the TV networks want to change the status quo. TWC did this with the Big Ten Network a few years ago. They certainly could save a lot of money on advertising if they stopped this behavior.


If it weren't for the fact that TWC faces little or no market competition , they would not be able to use us, their customers, as a club to bully the TV networks into doing their bidding.  It's a win-win for TWC....either the TV networks roll over or TWC gets tough on its current customers. 

So, Time Warner Cable, my opinion is for you to get tough, quit whining about the cost of doing business, and expend some of that energy at trying to improve your costs, your service and your relationshiop with your customers.  Or we will be rolling (our mouses) over our web browsers to watch our favorite programs on-line.

Amy

H1N1 Vaccine Controversy

Just yesterday a friend of mine was contemplating cancelling an appointment for her two young children with the pediatrician to get H1N1 flu shots.  When I asked her why she would cancel, she said that she was concerned about the safety of the vaccine, that it hadn't been tested enough and that the risk of H1N1 to her kids really wasn't that great compared to the seasonal flu.  When I explained to her that:

1) a vaccine shot is made up of the inactivated virus and a carrier and that the H1N1 vaccine is made with the same process that has been used for the seasonal flu shot for years.

2) the main side effects from the H1N1 shot will be the same for the seasonal flu shot - irritation, redness and/or soreness at the injection site and a possible allergic reaction to the egg albumin in the carrier.  If you have a seasonal flu shot before, your risk for the H1N1 flu shot will be similar

3)although H1N1 is a new virus for us, the vaccine has been tested for a long time.  By this I mean that the carrier has been tested and monitored for many years (see #1 above).  The virus in the vaccine is inactivated (killed) and a person cannot contract H1N1 from the shot itself.

4)as far as the risk of kids contracting H1N1, the following facts are known....flu activity is much higher so far this year than in other years...this a bit worrisome because fluu season is typically from December to May...H1N1 has more of an effect on children and people under the age of 65 than does the seasonal flu...Ohio (where we live) is one of the states currently reporting widespread flu activity. 

my friend said that was the information she needed to hear.  She said that her pediatrician also said the vaccine was safe but media reporting on the "vaccine controversy" had caused her to have doubts.

What I don't understand is why an intelligent, caring person like my friend would begin to question something that was designed to protect her children despite the fact that her pediatrician assured her it was safe.  Why does someone start to disreguard the opinion of a trained professional for that of someone in the media?  It's no mystery that the "media reporting" she referred to was coming from Glenn Beck and his ilk at Fox News.   I don't have a problem with Mr. Beck expressing his own opinion about the H1N1 vaccine.  I just don't want people to blindly accept everything he says.  THINK FOR YOURSELF, PEOPLE!   Listen to what is being said and then dig for the facts from a trusted source.  There is excellent information on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  They have pages dedicated to H1N1.  You can very quickly and easily find answers to just about any question you may have.  You can even read the transcript from press conferences with the media and see the questions the reporters asked and read the answers for yourself.  There is a separate site for information on vaccine safety.  You can become well-informed on H1N1 and the vaccine in the time it would take you to pursue the online Land's End catalog for the latest outerwear! 

I'm not saying you shouldn't watch Fox News or listen to Rush Limbaugh.   Just take the time to do a gut check and THINK FOR YOURSELF!  Don't let someone (with a hidden agenda) keep you from doing what's right for you and your family.  Being informed is truly the American way!